


The Same Mistake

by flightinflame



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Autistic Newt Scamander, Emotional Baggage, Friendship, Gen, Hogwarts, Loyalty, M/M, Misunderstandings, Overprotective Theseus Scamander, Young Newt Scamander
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-02-05
Packaged: 2019-03-14 08:19:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13586085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flightinflame/pseuds/flightinflame
Summary: Albus hates to see his student making the same mistakes that he once did. But he is powerless to do anything but watch as Newt throws away everything because of a misplaced sense of loyalty.





	The Same Mistake

Albus sighed, rubbing his forehead as he glanced over the table at the boy that was sat there. Scamander, the younger Scamander, was a fifth year, but he was small for his age, delicate. There was a fragility about him that Albus normally saw only in muggleborn first years - and then only for the first few months of their stay in the school.

Newton was sniffling into his handkerchief, the overly long scarf he had worn since his first year wrapped around his neck. Every so often the sniffles would break off, and instead he would run his fingers over the material. Albus looked away when he did that, trying not to picture the look in Ariana's eyes as she stroked the goats' fur, or her brothers' hair. She had liked touching things. After what had happened - his sister wasn't right, couldn't fit into the world of magic. If she'd been known about, she'd have been imprisoned, away from the sunlight that had let her thrive. She would never have been able to follow Albus into Gryffindor, or Aberforth into Hufflepuff - but he felt she would probably have belonged there. It was certainly the closest to a suitable house for young Newton.

Newton's eyes were red, and he swallowed, hiccoughing a little.  
"Thank you for agreeing to see me Professor," he mumbled. The boy never spoke clearly, never looked you in the eye - Albus would have been almost offended if he hadn't known the boy did it with everyone other than his own brother.

Albus missed Theseus. The older Scamander had been in constant trouble, always duelling when he shouldn't be, getting into fights to defend the honour of other students and then to protect his brother. But Theseus he could understand - there was a lot of Aberforth's hot-headedness there. He wondered if it was the same reason as for Aberforth - that he knew he had to protect a sibling that was vulnerable, that would never truly belong in the magical world.

At least when Newton was sent home, his brother would be there. Albus had already sent a note, requesting the Ministry permit the young auror a few weeks leave to deal with a family crisis.

"It's alright Scamander," Albus reassured him. "We all want to help you. What happened was unfortunate-"  
"It was an accident," Newton murmured, and the worst part was Albus could see the truth in his eyes. Newton had convinced himself that what had occurred had been accidental, rather than the inevitable consequence of a process that had begun when he'd first listened to Lestrange's honeyed lies.

"I know you never meant for it to go this far," Albus said firmly, reaching across the table to give the boy's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Newton nodded, wiping at his face again.  
"I never wanted anyone to get hurt."

Another truth. It was easy enough, if you got mixed up with someone like Lestrange, to believe you were doing no harm, that no one would suffer for your actions. That you were doing the right thing, that you were saving wizardkind. Newton had always been closer to creatures than to the other students, even within his own house. Albus wondered what Lestrange had promised - that the creatures would no longer be persecuted, no longer have to hide, perhaps. And Newton was a lonely child, one with no other friends. 

A kiss from Lestrange would probably have been all it took to place him under her spell, wanting to build a world with her. Albus was sure it was her fault - that she had corrupted the boy somehow, tainted his thoughts, misled him, turned something pure into something monstrous. The boy had loved her, wanted to give her everything, thought they could shape the world - and now this.

Newton wouldn't give her the blame though. In his soft, shaky voice he explained that it was his fault, that he had made a mistake, that Lestrange wasn't to be punished for it. Albus wondered if things would have been different if he had acted that way, if he had held the same certainty Newton showed.  
"Her family don't want you to see her any more," he reminded Newton as gently as he could. "If there's anything that would help your case - I know that you're in love with her, but my only goal is to make sure justice is done." Albus hesitated for a moment, catching sight of his sister's portrait at the corner of his desk. To make sure you don't make the same mistakes I did. You might think you love him-that you love her, but following what she promises will only lead to darkness."

Newton hesitated, then nodded, looking up at him.  
"I'm not in love with Leta sir. She's just a friend."

Even now, the boy was lying. Albus wasn't sure if he was doing it to protect her, or to protect himself.


End file.
